Regardless of how things ended in January, Washington Commanders fans have to be thrilled with the events of the past year-plus. Josh Harris has been a revelation as he and Mark Clouse have ushered in an era that will hopefully erase the pain caused by Dan Snyder.
Adam Peters is the new GM. Dan Quinn enters year two as head coach hoping to build upon the success seen during his first run. Their quarterback is Jayden Daniels, a Pro Bowler during his first NFL season who earned Offensive Player of the Year honors at season’s end.
Make no mistake. Washington isn’t patting itself on the back following a deep postseason run. They don’t feel as though they overachieved. In fact, it’s the opposite. Seeing their season end one game short of the NFL’s biggest game left them feeling relatively unsatisfied.
So, they added to their roster, signing Deebo Samuel, Deatrich Wise, and Javon Kinlaw among others. They traded for Laremy Tunsil. They drafted Josh Conerly and Troy Amos. Suddenly, the roster is stacked. Did we mention that it didn’t always be this way?
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Three Commanders save the franchise from total omission from an elite roster of legends
When it’s all said and done and NFL stars call it a career, they want to know they’ve made an impact, that they’ll be remembered. It’s all about legacy, setting their families up for success, and earning the respect of the guys they played with.
Washington, for the most of the past quarter century, has endured name changes and relative obscurity as evidenced by their near-omission on an intriguing all-star team of NFL legends.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder recently dropped their NFL All Quarter Century team, a talented grouping of 53 players and coaches. It even has a practice squad.
When smoke cleared and dust settled, three familiar faces were on the list. Two never played under the Commanders team name, but you get the idea. We all still have a soft place for all of them.
Trent Williams (2010-19)
Unfortunately, Trent Williams’ career will be remembered for an ugly standoff with the front office, but for ten seasons, he was one of the best O-lineman this franchise has seen in a while. He earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2015 and seven of his 11 Pro Bowl nods playing in the burgundy and gold.
Champ Bailey (1999-2003)
It feels like this can be stated now. If Washington had a time machine, they’d probably go back and rethink the trade that landed Clinton Portis in exchange for Champ Bailey and a second-round pick. Oh well, you live and you learn.
Portis earned a Second-Team All Pro nod and Pro Bowl mention during the 2018 NFL season, but during his seven-year run in the DMV, Champ earned three First-Team All-Pro mentions with the Denver Broncos.
Bailey also earned two of his four Second-Team All-Pro mentions and eight of his 12 Pro Bowl mentions in the Mile-High City. Not only that, he’s a Pro Football Hall of Famer whose career in Denver outlasted Portis’s time with Washington by three seasons.
Yep! It’s safe to state that Denver certainly won this trade.
Bobby Wagner (2024-present)
Bobby Wagner is the lone Commanders star still active whose name appears on ESPN’s quarter century all-star squad. He’ll probably be best remembered as a Seattle Seahawks legend, but his time with Washington has been very fruitful.
Wagner earned a Pro Bowl nod, his tenth, and his fifth Second-Team All-Pro nod. Better yet, he’s been a fantastic influence on the young stars on both sides of the ball.
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Wagner has been a revelation and has been, without question, an important cog in this turnaround.
Worth mentioning: Fear not if you have suffered for a while. Washington’s future looks better and brighter now.
Jayden Daniels is the real deal. Who knows? Years from now, in 2050, maybe he’ll find his way onto an all-star team of the next 25 NFL seasons.
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